


Balancing Act

by fandomchildd, fandompig



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alya Césaire Is The Best, Alya on a mission, Angst with a Happy Ending, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Bee Chloé Bourgeois, Caline Bustier gives up, Caline Bustier is really done, Casual Breaking and Entering, Casual kidnapping, Chloé Bourgeois Being Chloé Bourgeois, Chloé Bourgeois Redemption, Co-Written, Crack Treated Seriously, Dramatic AF Entrances/Exits, Emilie Agreste Lives, F/F, F/M, Fox Alya Césaire, Hawkmoth wins, Hawkmoth wins and makes the wish, Jealous Adrien Agreste, Kinda?, Light Angst, Lila Hate, MIRACLASS!!, Marinette Gets Erased, Memory Alteration, Memory Loss, Ret Gone, SADrien, Sleep Deprivation, Sleep Deprived Adrien Agreste, Sleep Deprived Alya Césaire, Turtle Nino Lahiffe, Wish Gone Wrong, and replaced by Emilie Agreste, authors have regrets, everyone being oblivious as always, just tagging for an hour straight, people being confused, people trying to figure out who's missing, please ignore me, post-reveal, way too many notes passed in class, with her class and life in general
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-02-15 21:31:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18677746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomchildd/pseuds/fandomchildd, https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandompig/pseuds/fandompig
Summary: "There's something... off. I can't tell you much, but the universe is either going to plunge into chaos or right itself, and it hasn't decided which yet."Alya is willing to doanythingto set to world back in balance and erase the uneasy feeling settling into her gut.She doesn't remember her passion. She and Nino have no close friends. Chloe's suddenly a decent person. Everyone knows something is off and she just wants to set it right.The class wasn't supposed to be twelve people. Someone's missing. Or several someones.It's someone who would be by Alya's side.But that someone is gone, and all that's left is a balancing act.





	1. Chapter 1

Something was off.

The world should have been just as bright as yesterday, yet it just seemed dark. 

But nothing was different! 

Right?

Alya wasn't sure. Something was definitely wrong here. 

All twelve students were in class. 

That felt wrong. 

Thirteen didn't feel right either. 

It, it felt like there should be fourteen. Or maybe fifteen.

Something was scraping at the back of Alya's mind, and something didn't add up. 

It was like... a pebble in her shoe. 

Or like the unsolvable algebra problem Mme. Mendeleiev had given Max to prove he wasn't as smart as he seemed. Even Markov couldn't solve it. It just sat on the board for weeks and everyone ignored it until Chloe made Sabrina erase it. Itching at the back of everyone's consciousness and begging to be solved, but impossible to solve all the same. 

Something that bothered everyone and no one could figure out. 

Alya didn't have a best friend. But she was so sure she did. 

She could have sat next to Nino. He didn't have a seat buddy either. 

Her boyfriend had an empty seat next too him and she  _wasn't_ sitting next to him. And she couldn't figure out why. 

It felt weird sitting in the front, too. She looked over at Chloe, who was frowning at her desk from behind the empty seat next to Nino. 

She should be sitting there. Why wasn't she?

More importantly, why did it feel like she should be sitting behind Nino, where Sabrina had always sat?

And why was it so damn quiet?

She slid across the aisle to Nino, slipping a hastily scribbled note to him. Mme. Bustier glanced at the new seating and nodded, distracted. 

Nino flipped the note over and read it. 

_Do you feel how wrong this is too?_

He brushed his fingers over the still-wet ink and thought, focusing on the strange, empty feeling he'd had since he stepped into the classroom. Which was weird, because everyone was there. All twelve students. 

It felt wrong. Distinctly wrong. 

_Yeah, babe. Something's wrong. It feels empty and lonely._

Alya read the response and slipped her first note to Chloe behind her. 

Nino nearly fell off his bench when Chloe, Chloe of all people, actually wrote back. 

In flowing script, she had written,  _I get the feeling that my friend Adrien and I had an argument, but I haven't spoken to Adrien for three months because he was grounded and we never picked up a conversation again. I feel like there's an empty spot in my heart too. And I felt the urge to go to a bakery this morning. A bakery!! I'm on a diet and I haven't broken it once. I don't know why I wanted to go there! And I felt like my mother and I were closer._

Alya added a  _pass it on and respond to Alya_ to the note and Chloe handed it to Sabrina with a rare, vulnerable look. 

Sabrina nodded fervently and through this system, soon Alya had ten notes. 

 _I feel like I had another friend other than Chloe,_ Sabrina wrote.  _And like Chloe was a much better person than I remember her being._

 _Markov is missing a large portion of memory and keeps displaying a ladybug emoji or a cat face,_ Max wrote. 

 _I feel like Kim had been a better friend and more sensitive to my emotions, and someone faceless keeps reassuring me in my memories,_ Ivan wrote in surprisingly neat font. 

 _There's kinda an echo of something important? idk,_  Alix's harshly messy writing read.  _A blank spot. I remember a banner but idk who made it._

 _Some of the pages in my sketchbook are empty_ , Nathaniel had scribbled.  _I never leave blank pages._

 _Yeah, something's off. I remember something about my friend Ondine, and a vague memory of a banner,_ Kim had written.  _Something about Chloe too. Someone taking down Chloe, maybe?_

 _I know I'm dating Ivan but I don't remember how we started dating. Someone in red gave him courage,_ Mylene said.  _I saw a dark purple butterfly today and I was terrified of it for no reason._

 _I know someone broke my photo curse but in all my pictures, it's still there. Rose swears she met Prince Ali, too. And we remember modeling for someone. There's a lot of strange pink? Perfume, wallpaper, and a mirror. All pink. Playing matchmaker. Girl stuff like that, but something's missing._ Juleka and Rose responded.  _Someone with an amazing life in our class, too._

Okay. This was okay. Chloe's friend Adrien tied into this somehow. There was probably a girl missing too, maybe two? 

Puzzling over this, she barely registered the bell ringing. She numbly headed to her next class. At lunch, she rushed after Chloe. Her friend Adrien was part of this, she was sure. 

"Chloe," Alya greeted, strangely calmly. The rest of the class gathered around the two girls. "You said something felt off about your friend Adrien. Would you please call him?"

The blonde diva, surprisingly, did as she was told without hesitation, putting her phone on speaker even. 

"Adrihoney! It's been waaay too long-"

"Adrien, right? I'm Alya Cesaire, a classmate of Chloe's. What do you know?"

"Um. That's kinda a broad question? And I know who you are... Wait. Why do I know who you are? I've never met you, right? And Chlo never talks about school," the familiar yet unfamiliar voice said, starting to sound panicky. 

"Honey, calm down. You sound like you're hyperventilating. My entire class agrees that something's off. Describe anything that seems relevant," Chloe soothed, then her brow furrowed. When did she get so good at soothing? She was a rich bitch. Why did she feel so protective? She wanted to call everyone honey and protect them all and keep them all safe and buzz soothingly... What?

"One: when did you get so good at calming? Two: Adrien, continue," Alya ordered. 

"Okay. I woke up this morning sobbing, and I still feel like someone I love died. When my mom hugged me, it felt really wrong and horrible and unpleasant and I felt like crying more. My brain has been supplying cat puns for basically every sentence. My room smells like fancy, stinky cheese. I feel like my father did something terrible. My umbrella feels really wrong. I can't pick up an Ultimate Mecha Strike III controller without crying. There's an empty space on my trophy wall. I swear I had a ring and something in my pocket. I faintly remember running across a rooftop wearing black, and someone in red. Or maybe pink. It keeps changing. I keep checking my computer for a bookmark that doesn't exist. I had a best friend other than Chloe. I suddenly hate Kagami, a girl at my fencing place. I distinctly remember calling someone 'Princess' and telling them to get to safety. I don't know who and I don't know what I'm trying to protect them from. I swear I met Jagged Stone, XY, and Clara Nightingale. XY was a jerk. Jagged Stone had a crocodile named Fang and an assistant named Penny. Clara Nightingale did something that made me happy and something I was scared of. I went to a party that Chloe threw and danced with someone. My lips are tingling. My vision feels really crappy but it's perfectly fine. I really want to sprawl in a sunny part on the floor and sleep. There's a pigeon outside and I remember someone laughing at me for sneezing. A hat I modeled that doesn't exist. Alya, you keep getting in the way or in danger. Someone named Nino who's really supportive and stood up to my father. A red hat, orange headphones, blue shirt with a weird eye design. White, orange, and purple plaid shirt. Alya, you and Nino have glasses. Some shy redhead artist I don't like. Some guy who tried to pretend to be me. Some chill musician I'm jealous of. A liar causing a lot of drama for... someone. I don't know who. A funeral. A constant companion who loved cheese. The more I talk, the more that comes to me.  
"The wind whipping through my hair. Falling, trusting someone so completely. A red rose that someone refused to accept three times before they finally did. Ice skating. I've never been ice skating but I remember it has something to do with the chill musician. Chloe in a skintight black and yellow suit. Chloe in a red spotted suit, and then the inverted version. You in an orange and white suit. Nino in green... armor? with a shield. Hiding in a locker. Le Grand Paris has a supply closet that unearthed some huge relevation. Grief. I'm grieving someone. I watched a butterfly kill someone. Not a literal butterfly, but that's just what comes to me. A spinning top on a string. A flute. Alya has the flute, Chlo the spinning top. Alya has demon-like younger twin sisters and an overprotective older sister. Alya called me to act as someone's translator. Pictures of me on a pink wall. A cat pillow. A balcony. A book on superheroes someone stole from me. Lots of the Eiffel Tower. Jealousy. A bit of petty anger. Declarations of love. Taking blows for someone else. Convincing myself I didn't matter. Someone going and convincing me that I meant everything to them. A partner. Chloe being... well, Chloe. Thinking, 'well, that's the silver lining,' and saying 'I've one dying request: let her live, Gabriel,' to which he responded, 'soon, you won't remember any of this.' Photo curse. Lucky Charm. Race. Evil butterflies. Spots. Bugaboo. Rena Rouge, Queen Bee, Carapace. Someone saying, 'stay awake, mon minou. This battle isn't over yet.' Pain. A lot of it isn't a fully formed memory, just a word or something. 'You have her smile' then blushing. Stuttering, then sassing. Feathers and pigeons. Bubbles. WiFi. A charm on Alya's phone. A valentine. Cheese. A poem. A parade. A battle at the Eiffel Tower. Losing hope and trust towards people I thought were my friends. Chloe, me, and the blurry person against a butterfly and a peacock. A coffin with my mother inside. Um. A botched reality show episode. Playful banter. Ivan. Ivan was definitely important. Someone telling me he and Mylene were made for each other. 'Operation Djwifi.' A tournament. I think I loved someone. Father getting mad because I gained a few kilos of muscle. The best bakery in Paris. The familiar _zip_ of a string. Art. Ladynoir. Someone throwing me at a Vietnamese-French guy with stupid hair and a crush on Chloe. Ivan had similar hair. Chloe's redhead lapdog wears glasses. Substitute Chinese teacher with a red Hawaiian shirt and a turtle. Two girls, one wearing dark purple and the other wearing pink, in love and everyone melting at how cute they looked together. Whipped cream and the Owl, comic books. A cartoon being made based on superheroes. Macarons. Camembert. There's more, too. I'll write it down and give it to Chloe, I guess."

"I'm wearing a orange, purple, and white plaid shirt. Nino, my boyfriend, is wearing a red hat, orange headphones, and a blue shirt with a weird eye design. Ivan and Mylene are dating. Rose and Juleka are dating and they're wearing pink and dark purple. I have a Majestia charm on my phone case. Mylene's suddenly terrified of butterflies. Juleka has a chill musician brother. Nathaniel is a shy redhead artist. Alix and Kim had a race based on a bet a while ago, and we don't remember who made the banner for it. Mr. Damocles looks like an owl. I don't know how you know this stuff, but something's going on and I'm going to figure it out. You in?" Alya said. "This is way too many coincidences to be fake."

"Definitely."

Her classmates echoed him. 

Okay. 

She could figure this out. It's what Majestia would do. 

No. It's what  _she_ would do. 

Adrien's 'Princess.' Alya's best friend. 

The Ladybug. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief note from fanchild: Alya doesn't know Ladybug's name is Ladybug. She hears spots, lucky charm, bugaboo, etc. and thinks it fits. Lila isn't in the class yet because plot. Gabriel won, a few hours after the reveal. Gabriel wished for Emilie. Marinette got erased from existence. The universe isn't happy about this. Lila successfully turned everyone against Marinette and Adrien beforehand, except Chloe. Master Fu has the Ladybug earrings and the Black Cat ring, but Gabriel has the Peacock and Butterfly stones. The kwamis remember everything.  
> Please comment! We love feedback and spent a lot of time on this.  
> fandomchildd's tumblr is death-by-ladybug.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fanchild: i set the expectations for me and furrrpig too high with the 2001 word first chapter. this took forever to write!  
> it was soooo worth it.

"So I'm Queenie, Nino's Bubbler, Alya's Rena, and you're Honey."

"Yeah!" Sabrina cried eagerly.

"Nope. Alya's Foxy and that's final," Chloe argued. "Why again are we treating this like a spy movie?"

"Because you might be able to get out of any mess if we get caught, but we can't! We're breaking into a mansion. If the security cameras get anything, we're less likely to be recognized. Especially if we don't use our names," Alya explained again. "Turn on your earpieces, everyone."

"That makes a lot of sense. Like, you've-been-doing-this-for-forever type sense."

"Honestly, it's Alya. Would you be surprised if she has been doing this for years?" Nino asked, sceptical. 

"Nope. Continue."

"Operation House Agreste is a go," Alya decided. "Queenie, Bubbler, you're up."

"Come on, _Bubbler_ ," Chloe said, yanking Nino after her. "Honey, keep an eye out for Foxy. She's probably going to do something stupid and brilliant that saves our asses but doesn't account for hers."

"On it, Queenie," Sabrina said, moving to stand next to Alya with a mock salute. "She'll be safe and sound. Don't worry about us."

"Now you've got me scared," Chloe muttered sarcastically, accepting Nino's help scaling the fence around the mansion with surprising (or not, really, considering her recent actions) humility. "See you on the other side!" Chloe pulled Nino up next to her and dropped down on the other side, out of sight. "We're both fine, thanks for asking."

Alya grinned, signalling Max and clambering up the wall with Sabrina on her heels. Like Max had demonstrated, she pried the plate of the security camera off the back, finding the right place, and connecting it to the tablet he'd given her. 

" _I'm in. Security feeds are on loop, but I can see what's actually happening._ " Max said from the earpiece. 

" _Nice, dudes_!" Nino responded. Chloe rolled her eyes and the two continued towards where Chloe claimed Adrien's room was, and Max and Kim running surveillance.

 

At this time, back in Collège Françoise Dupont, Caline Bustier gazed out at her class, noting that Alya, Nino, Chloe, and Sabrina were missing, and Max seemed to be talking to someone through an earpiece, guiding them with "Avoid the roof. It has spikes, and could potentially cause failure in your objective." and "Not that window! It's trapped. The next one over would be more ideal and would increase your chance of success by 72%."

Kim had a tablet out, and occasionally added into the conversation with bits of "Gorilla coming your way." and "Papillon and his wife are sitting in the garden. It looks really sappy and disgusting, and avoid there at all cost. We've all heard the horror stories about him, right?"

Frankly, Caline didn't  _want_ to know. And Chloe would just use her father to get her and her accomplices out of any danger, so there was no use reporting it. 

She called the class to attention, blatantly ignoring the missing students and the students remotely breaking into someplace? She didn't want to know. And it felt like there were more than four students missing. There was a weird feeling. And based on the notes Alya had not-so-discreetly thrown away yesterday, the students agreed completely. 

"Mme. Bustier, are you alright?" Rose asked from the back. 

"Fine, fine. Anyone know where Chloe, Sabrina, Alya, and Nino are?" she asked, knowing her efforts were going to be fruitless. 

"I think they're kidnapping a friend of Chloe's. Don't worry about them!" Mylene piped up reassuringly. "Kim and Max are helping remotely."

"Right. Kidnapping. Of course, what else? Turn to chapter three of your textbook..."

 

Chloe knocked on the window, hanging by a grappling hook Max had gotten somewhere off the Internet. Her hands were starting to cramp from holding onto the wire, but it was so worth seeing his face. 

She'd enjoy his priceless expression much more if it wasn't complete with tear tracks down his face and the dark circles under his eyes. Honestly, how someone went from perfectly fine to  _that much_ of a mess in a day was beyond her. 

Her brain screamed  _Protect the hive you idiot look at him hug him buzz and protect him forever and love him and smother him in honey and give him everything he deserves!_ and she didn't like it one bit. 

He couldn't swing open the window fast enough. "Chloe!! What are you doing- How are you?? That- Do I even want to know?"

Unable to resist, she smirked. "Hey, Adrihoney. We're breaking you out," she explained, then wrapped the rope around him waist and dragged him out the window.

He didn't even try to protest. 

"Don't worry too much, I've got Bubbler down there to catch us, Foxy and Honey are waiting for us at the gate, and their hacker friend and his jock bestie are watching the security cameras," she reassured. 

Which of course was when Kim screeched, "Oh shit! Queenie get the fuck out of there! Prim peacock-looking lady coming down the hallway fast, with Gorilla man. Sorry, I was listening to Mme. Bustier."

Chloe winced and pushed off the window sill. "Come on! Nathalie and the Gorilla are coming to get you, we have to be  _gone_. Go faster! Bubbler, the distraction! Also, stop screeching in my ear like a misplaced rooster, Kim."

"Adrien, it's time for- Adrien?" Nathalie spoke, then realized Adrien was nowhere to be seen. She rushed over to the open window. "Adrien!"

Nino's 'distraction' was throwing water balloons at the window as they made their mad retreat. Then the three teens fled for the fence, scaling it as fast as possible, and then leapt over. 

"Honey, Foxy, let's go!" Chloe yelled, and the five teens made a break for it. 

They arrived back at school panting, exhausted from the run, but in Chloe and Alya's opinion it was worth it. Using the handy grappling hook Max supplied, they scampered up the side of the building and-

Well, if Mme. Bustier was surprised at her four missing students arriving via window with a child that was certainly not one of  _her_ students, she gave no indication. She had everyone sit down, calm themselves, then walked over to Adrien, who was just kinda standing there awkwardly. "Take a seat, child, class is starting. Here's a spare textbook."

His delighted face was more than worth losing her last copy left. 

 

Nathalie sighed. It was going to be a long day. 

Some random teenagers coming to kidnap Adrien, somehow getting past all the security? Ugh. Then they had the nerve to throw  _water balloons_ at her. Water balloons! Her outfit was  _ruined_ and Gabriel- M. Agreste, she reminded herself, Emilie's alive here, was going to  _murder_ her. 

The Gorilla was barely holding back a laugh. She probably looked horrible, her hair a dripping mess and her suit drenched. She made a half-hearted attempt to wipe the water off her glasses. Adrien got out. Some  _teenagers_ got past the security system. Emilie was back, and Nathalie knew it was selfish, but she missed the old timeline. Adrien looked distraught, like he was mourning Emilie's disappearance all over again. But worse. He flinched every time he came into contact with one of his parents. And it hurt her heart, even if she'd never admit it, to see the only two people she'd ever loved romantically so happy together. She was so, so happy for them, of course, but she couldn't stop bits of jealousy seeping in. 

She missed listening to Hawkmoth's post-akuma rants, laughing at his monologuing in his dark attic from her desk, watching Adrien brighten every time he left, every time he saw his friends, every time he saw Ladybug. He wasn't exactly subtle about transforming, and no one could eat  _that much_ cheese. Only a kwami. She loved watching him smile and joke, laugh and banter with Ladybug. In the suit, mainly. As Adrien, his Chat bravado flew out the window and the two were left blushing messes.

Here, he was even more of an empty shell than before. Here, he suffered through echoes of memories and warmth he didn't have here. In this timeline. Gabriel was too wrapped up in Emilie to notice, and Emilie was hurt by the way he flinched away from her touch. Nathalie trained herself not to flinch, but Adrien wasn.'t good at hiding his emotions. He never had been.

So maybe it was a good thing his classmates were smart enough to get past the security. Maybe it was a good thing they got Adrien out of the house. 

But Gabriel would be furious if he found out. So she just had to keep it away from him. 

It was going to be a  _long_ day. 

"Let's just keep this incident to ourselves, okay Gorilla?"

 

"Okay. Why don't we list the places that feel weird to us and we can go those places for clues?" Alya suggested. It was lunch, and they were determined to figure some things out before going back into school. Adrien knew everyone's names without being told, which was another hint. He had to have been in their class before whatever messed everything up. 

"Stadium. Eiffel Tower, definitely. Tom and Sabine's Boulangerie and Patisserie, specifically the balcony," Adrien listed. "That's all. Here, too, actually."

"Eiffel Tower, yeah. That makes sense to me. Important stuff happened there. The stadium... maybe it was, like, the beginning of something big?" Alya said. "Hmm. Tom and Sabine have a daughter that goes here, right?"

"Yeah, they do. Wait. No," Nino said. "Their niece, Bridgette, lives there. She's a year older than us."

"I could have sworn... I don't know a Bridgette. I swear there was someone our age, but I guess not," Alya said. "Something about macarons and fashion."

"There's a lead. Fashion, macarons, and video games." Adrien stared across the street at the bakery. "I remember video games. Something to do with a lucky charm too."

"So, the bakery and then the stadium. We can hit the Eiffel Tower after school," Mylene said calmly. "Let's make a team to go to bakery so we don't overwhelm them."

"Easy. Us girls and Adrien," Chloe decided. "If Ladybug lived there and we were her friends, then we'd have been there before. And Adrien knows she liked video games."

"Um, Chlo, I think that's too many people. How about Alya, Juleka, and I?" Adrien suggested. 

"Why Juleka?" Rose asked, raising a hand. "I mean, I'm not opposed to my girlfriend helping figure this out, but you don't know her very well, Adrien."

Adrien smiled at Rose. "She's quiet. She and Nathaniel are the type of people that stay quiet and see everything. They make a lot of observations and everyone always underestimates them, and Nathaniel doesn't have a reason to go into a girl's room, so he wouldn't know much. Actually, he should come too. If he does remember something, he'd be able to draw it out better than most of us. And he has great attention to detail."

"That makes... a lot more sense than I expected," Alya said, eyebrows raised. 

"That was an eerily accurate assessment of me," Juleka added. "I agree. Completely. This supernatural stuff is _so cool_. I'll go."

Silence. No one really had anything to say.

"That settles it!" Chloe cried suddenly with a clap of her hands. Everyone jumped at the sudden noise. "Nath, Foxy, Juleka, and Adrikins will go to the bakery and explain what we're doing, maybe asking to look around a bit. Nath and Foxy can take notes and sketch stuff."

"Since when am I Nath to you?" Nathaniel asked, voicing everyone's thoughts. 

"Since someone's missing and you're all my hive. Shut up and go to the bakery, tomato," Chloe replied easily. "Hey, weren't you dating someone?"

"...No? I don't think so? Wait, I do remember something..."

"I think he had a rainbow shirt or something. Ring any bells?"

"There's a boy with a rainbow shirt who goes to GSA," Rose piped up. "He's kinda cute. He totally seems like your type, Nath. I think he writes stories. You'd like him. Maybe you met him before everything got messed up?"

"Oh?" Nathaniel sounded curious. "Well, we can figure that out later. We're going to tell the Dupain-Chengs the truth on what we're doing?"

"They probably feel the strange feeling too. Wouldn't they be suspicious if some kids just randomly showed up and started asking questions without a good excuse?" Alya pointed out. "We can't really lie about stuff like this. If they have the same weird feeling, then they know we're not crazy. It's a risk, but it could work."

"Let's go, then," Chloe said. "Adrihoney, don't get into any trouble and- anyone have a spare sweatshirt? We should probably hide his face. He is famous, after all."

"Hey Jules, what's up?" An unfamiliar (at least to Adrien) voice called from across the schoolyard. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fanchild again: it's pretty obvious who this new person is. honestly, i just needed someone with a sweatshirt lol.  
> and yes! bridgette is in this. felix, maybe. he probably won't have as much as of an impact. in the fandom, there's too much felix being super important and no bridgette or both of them. there's no just bri. i want to fix that a bit.  
> not saying felix won't exist. just that bridgette will be a lot more influential.  
> oh, and gabe is 'papillon' to the students because of the butterfly logo and coincidence. no other reason.  
> GSA, for you weirdos who don't know, is Gender Sexuality Alliance. Or Gay Straight Alliance. either one! idk if that's a thing in France. At my school we call it SAGA (sexuality and gender alliance) because that sounds cooler. Rose and Juleka and Marc (Reverser, season 2) probably would go if it existed there, because we all know they're gay.


	3. Chapter 3

Juleka whirled around. "Hey, Luka."

"Perfect timing, whoever you are. Give me your sweatshirt," Chloe demanded. "We don't have much time."

"Do you have a reason to need my sweatshirt?" he asked, slinging it off his shoulder. "That's kinda weird to just ask someone random."

Chloe snatched the sweatshirt from him and threw it at Adrien. "Put that on. Your stupid model face is plastered everywhere and we can't have your father know that we kidnapped you, after all. Foxy, take care of this idiot. Everyone else, go eat lunch with your friends or something. Enjoy some normality."

"Chlo, don't be rude. You're Juleka's brother, right?" Adrien said pleasantly, reluctantly slipping the sweatshirt on and pulling the hood over to mostly hide his face. Luka nodded, getting a strange sense of jealousy from looking at the model. His brow furrowed. It wasn't often he was jealous of someone, and he had no reason to be jealous of him. 

Alya clapped her hands. "Magic."

"Babe, he described us, having never met us or seen a picture of either of us, on the phone. And you're surprised he knows that?" Nino pointed out. "Also, look how similar they look. It could just be a really good guess!"

"It wasn't a guess, I definitely knew that at some point. We can puzzle that out later, right now we should head to the bakery," Adrien cut in.

"Awesome," Juleka breathed. "This is so freaky."

"Chop chop. Shoo. Go interrogate the bakers already," Chloe clapped, catching everyone's attention quickly. The team hurried across the street to Tom and Sabine's Boulangerie and Patisserie.

 

The door of the bakery opened with a jingle of the bell. Sabine looked up. Four teenagers, ones that felt extremely familiar, crowded in. A girl with black hair tipped with purple and reddish brown eyes, a redhead boy with turquoise eyes, a boy in a big sweatshirt with green eyes, and a girl with thick auburn hair, glasses, and hazel eyes. The auburn-haired girl came up to the counter, the other three hanging back a bit. 

"Hello, Mme. Cheng. I'm Alya Cesaire. My friends and I have noticed strange emotions and vague memories that started appearing yesterday morning, and have only become stronger. Have you noticed anything like this?"

Sabine looked up, startled. "I have, actually. Are you looking for something specifically?"

"One of my friends associates this place with pink, the phrase lucky charm, and video games. Can you think of anything related to that?" Alya said, smiling at Sabine's willingness. 

"I can. Are you going to get anything or can we take this upstairs? It's hard to carry out a meaningful conversation while manning the register," Sabine responded. 

"I think we're good. C'mon, guys," Alya replied, waving her friends forward. 

"Tom, would you mind coming out here? We have guests!" Sabine called into the back, her husband poking his head out of the back and stepping up to the cash register. "Thanks, Tom," she said, kissing his cheek as she ushered the four teens up the stairs into the dining room. "Here. Have some cookies, they're not up to our standards to sell and Bridgette doesn't like sweets very much."

"Thank you, Mme. Cheng," Adrien said quietly. 

"Call me Sabine. You want to know more about the weird feeling? We don't know much. My niece, Bridgette, has been acting weird. I thought she was at least an inch taller, she tripped all the time, she was always late, but she's graceful, short, and punctual. I thought her grades were dropping but they're still straight A's. Her hair seems really long, I thought it was shorter. Weird things that don't make sense. Small stuff, but I don't think I know her as well as I did a few days ago. And she's the same girl, I think. It's my memories that are off. Alya,  _you_ seem familiar. So does he." She points at Adrien. "Our logo seems off, too. If you find anything, or need help with anything, you come here. Maybe other people will tell you you're crazy but  _something is off_ and I want to know what."

"Wow, thanks. People rarely believe me, it's nice to know it's not just us kids," Alya said, scribbling everything down on her notepad. "Can we talk to your niece?"

"I'll see if she's around." Sabine started to turn to the stairs, but the door opened before she could.

 

"Auntie?"

A girl with black hair tied in twin pigtails over her shoulders, greyish blue eyes, and pale, clear skin slipped down the stairs with unnatural grace for what Alya expected. "Can I talk to our guests?"

"Careful, she seems a bit strange, too," Sabine murmured, and waved them up to her room. 

"C'mon, guys. You have a lot to catch up on," Bridgette whispered as she closed the trapdoor behind the four. "You're looking for what happened to my cousin. I've been away, living in China, for the past decade. Yesterday morning, I woke up in this bed with  _two_ sets of memories. Well, two total. It's more like one full set and two half of different sets, one of which is in third person. I have  _third person_ memories of my cousin, who suddenly doesn't exist. There are some gaps in my other set, but I was sent to China at age five by Master Fu, the Guardian of these stones called Miraculouses. My cousin wielded the Ladybug Miraculous and fought with her partner, Chat Noir, against the corrupted Butterfly, Hawk Moth. The last thing I heard from Fu before waking up was 'brace your mind.' No context. Or if there was, I've forgotten it. I do remember that if you used both the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses you could make a wish, but it would upset the balance of the universe. I think that's what happened. My cousin, Ladybug, was wished out of existence in exchange for someone else's life. The other person wasn't quite dead, though so Ladybug isn't completely erased. Actually, I have this one flash of memory from what I guess was the final battle. Ladybug, detransformed, is standing in front of a boy. She tells the man in front of her, Hawk Moth, she'll never let him hurt her partner, and then a woman in blue grabs her Miraculous, presenting them to the man. Ladybug cries out, and Hawk Moth detransforms and takes both the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses. End flashback. The boy behind her, though, I recognize," she rushed out. "It's him." She pointed at Adrien. "He's the Black Cat. I don't know what exactly led up to that scene, but Hawk Moth made a wish and now Ladybug is gone."

"What's her name? Ladybug, I mean. She can't just be called Ladybug, right?" Alya asked. "I think she was my best friend. Or maybe my idol. Your story, though, makes a lot of sense."

"I can't tell you that, Alya. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have interfered at all, but I want to go home," Bridgette said coolly. "Master Fu said to say nothing. But I'm a hero, and what hero stands to the side while other fight the battle? So, get me the Peacock and I will give you anything you want."

"...I was a hero? Someone people looked up too?" Adrien muttered softly. 

Bridgette grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "No! You  _are_ a hero! You are the Black Cat, Miraculous or not! I would tell you everything now if I could, Chat Noir. This is  _your partner_ who's missing, and I know how that feels. Mine was in China with me, now I don't know.  _I want my partner back_. You, you have a chance to bring them both back sometime. Heroes don't need powers, they just  _are_. Mine might be the grumpiest, most stubborn man I've ever met, but he's got a heart of gold. You, you can be a hero without a Miraculous. I was. Felix was. It's up to you and your class this time. Don't make the mistake I did. Don't take your friends for granted. Adrien, Master Fu chose you for a reason. Your kind heart! Use it."

"Thanks, Bridgette."

"Call me Bri. I've never liked the name Bridgette."

"Here's my phone number. Contact me if you can tell us anything else," Alya said, handing a slip of paper to Bridgette. 

She smiled at Alya. "Anytime, fox. While the Turtle is the Fox's partner, in many circumstances the Peacock takes up that role. You have your Turtle, but I'm glad to have worked with the Fox at least once while I wait for my Butterfly to return to me."

Alya nodded and the four left the room, Juleka sneaking a picture of the room. "Huh," she mused. "I thought it was different. Nath, can you draw it out how you thought it looked?"

"Sure, Jules," he replied, taking the offered tablet and pulling up and editing app and starting to work on the picture. 

Alya pressed call and held her phone to her ear. It wasn't long before her boyfriend's voice filled her ear. "Yeah, babe?" He asked. 

"Tell Max and Sabrina we're looking for a Fu. Chinese, a little odd, some stuff that doesn't match up, etc."

"You got a lead?"

"Her name is Ladybug. Bridgette is her cousin. She was a superhero. She fought a villain, Hawk Moth, but he won. She has a partner, and guess what? Bri knew who he is. Adrien, the 'Black cat.' I don't know why, but I think she's telling the truth. She mentioned a Master Fu. She also wants the Peacock Miraculous, I'll explain later, before she says Ladybug's real name. She wants us to restore everything so she can see her partner, Felix, again. Maybe search for Felix too. Mme. Cheng says we can come to her anytime. So far, she believes us. Bri knows a lot that I don't think she should be able to her, but everything she says just kinda clicks. In my head, it feels  _right_. So yeah, I have a lead. And a couple more pages of of notes. See you in class!" Alya hung up, brimming with excitement. She was going to find Ladybug!

 

"So, why did you steal my sweatshirt again?"

"Because Adrien's face is plastered everywhere and also we kidnapped him because his father's hair looks like a duck's ass, but somehow his personality is worse than that tragedy on his head," Sabrina piped up happily. "At least, that's what Chloe says!"

"Um. So is there a reason behind the kidnapping?"

"Well, how else were we supposed to get him to school?" Kim called from the back. 

"Is this a normal day for you guys, or is today just crazy?"

"Just today!" Rose smiled. "Don't worry, Lulu, Jules isn't doing anything dangerous. It's great to see you, though! You should come see us all more often!"

"Is someone missing? I swear was a friend of yours who liked pink a lot, not Rose or Mylene."

"There is a 97.00627% chance that there is magic involved in the situation. Based on my predictions, it would be most likely that you knew the girl who disappeared if you're feeling the affects."

"Dude. In actual French, there's magic shit going on. Relax and prepare for investigative journalist Alya to grill you later. For now, chill," Nino reasoned. "You don't seem like the type to skip class, but just- just stick with us. It'll be better that way."

"Uh-huh. He's staying, that's final. The hive sticks together. If he has complaints, I'll call my daddy. Lunch is ending, let's head back to class."

"My grades are pretty good, I think I can afford to skip half a day," Luka coughed out, looking away from Chloe with a faint blush spreading across his cheeks. 

"Well, good, because when Chloe decides something is going to happen, it happens. None of us would dare cross her," Mylene sighed. "I'm so glad that she and Kim somehow got me and Ivan together. Not intentionally, but she had her heart set on mocking me and Kim got Ivan to chase after me. Honestly, it was one of the best days of my life."

"That was a long time ago, Chloe's been better all the sudden. It's a little weird, but I think our missing 'Ladybug' helped her become a better person. With or without the memories, she's still a better person," Ivan spoke up from the back. Everyone jumped except Mylene. 

"That's, like, the most I've heard you speak all year. And it makes a lot of sense," Kim said, voicing all of their thoughts. 

"Well, duh. He doesn't like you, like anyone with any brains at all," Alix teased, shushing Max as he tried to defend his friend. "Aside from Max, who is just book smart, not street smart."

"Alix. How dare you insult Ondine's intelligence?" Kim gasped, sounding scandalized. "Poor girl, no one here to defend her!"

"Right. Ondine," Alix huffed out a sigh. "Well, there goes my theory. At least I'm still faster than you!"

The rest of the class tuned out of their bets and dares and taunts to focus on Luka again, but before they could say anything the bell rang. Chloe grabbed the front of Luka's shirt and dragged him after her classmates as he started to turn away, glaring at him. "Come on. Mme. Bustier won't care, not after Adrikins, Sabrina, Nino, Alya, and I came in through the window. Adrien isn't even in the class, he's homeschooled."

Luka just hummed softly under his breath, smiling at Chloe warmly. "Okay."

Chloe rolled her eyes, disgusted at her cheeks for flushing so easily. She settled into her seat and started to people watch, looking for all the clues she'd missed when she bullied people. Juleka and Nathaniel slipped into class quickly, but Adrien and Alya were nowhere to be seen.

Nino's phone rang, and he held it away from his ears cautiously and discreetly answered. After a bit of silence he brought it closer and started talking to someone, presumably Alya. He hung up quickly, seeing as they were in the middle of class. 

Not even three minutes later, Nino was answering his phone again, and the whole class could hear Alya's screech of "OH MY GOD BABE I THINK I FOUND SOMETHING BIG!"

Chloe winced. Even someone like Mme. Bustier had her limits. Luckily, she only took the phone from Nino's hand and told Alya very calmly, "Please try not to interrupt class, child." Then she handed the phone back to Nino and continued her lesson.

She didn't even mention Luka once, apparently giving up on them all. 

Chloe gave a genuine, comforting smile when Mme. Bustier turned despairing eyes on her. To everyone's surprise, Mme. Bustier just gave a weary smile back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment! i love getting feedback and there's some stuff i'm not sure about and i know exactly where this is going, but i don't really know how i'm getting there. honestly i just want sleep. but, y'know, sleep isn't actually that fun so i'd rather write. and read. it may look like i only have 271 bookmarks but i actually have 598 and i've only had and account for what, three months? i think fandompig is right and i have a problem.  
> oh well.  
> note: my username used to be fanchild. fandompig's used to be furrrpig.   
> enjoy! and for the hinted at lukloe,   
> well.  
> ugh, lukloe or chlogami? i can't decide. someone help me.  
> one thing is certain: love square is endgame and all other ships are background. STILL.   
> lukloe or chlogami?  
> cue mental debate.  
> comment you opinions!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the events that lead up to the wish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so I wasn't very motivated so I wrote the beginning and I dyed my hair red. fandompig, fandomcat, this is obviously for you guys. Talk to me! that's the whole point of the Death by Ladybug group chat, right?

Ladybug sighed and kicked out her legs again, swinging her feet back and forth. It was a joint patrol night, and Chat was late. 

Chat was _never_ late. 

The only other time he’d been late, he’d sent a message telling her he was busy and couldn’t make it. 

She pulled out her yoyo, refreshing the screen yet another time. Still nothing.

When he finally arrived and was perfectly fine and normal, she was going to murder him. 

Something told her something was off. Chat didn’t just disappear. But the logical part of her remembered all of the times she’d missed patrol or gotten roped into something or fell asleep or lost track of time, leaving him hanging. Maybe he was catching up on some lost sleep from the last three am akuma!

...Or not. 

Maybe something really was wrong. Maybe he needed help. Maybe something was wrong. Maybe his father (they’d talked enough for her to know his home life wasn’t great) had locked him away. Maybe someone had found him out. 

If there was one thing Marinette hated more than Lila, it was _not knowing_ . And _fuck_ if it didn’t drive her crazy. 

Ladybug shivered even at the thought of Lila. True to her word (for once), she had torn the entire class apart, slowly. Alya claimed Marinette was jealous (hint: she wasn’t) because Lila liked Adrien, despite how obviously uncomfortable he was around her. And Marinette _hated_ when her friends were uncomfortable. 

She also hated that Alya had broken up with Nino, and that it was all her fault. But Alya had broken her trust and Nino… hadn’t. Not really. Nino was better at reading people, he’d picked up that Lila made Adrien uncomfortable and helped him escape, even if he didn’t understand why Adrien didn’t like her. Alya didn’t pay enough attention, and kept on believing that she was right. She had broken Marinette’s heart, and when an akuma had showed up that required the Fox to combat it, she couldn’t bring herself to choose Alya again. After failing to find Adrien, she spotted Nino and made a quick decision. 

Alya had been heartbroken and furious, and even as Nino pushed her away, she trusted him far more than Alya. Adrien was always missing. She’d ended up relying on Chloe with several different Miraculouses, and Kagami with two. She’d even had to give the Mouse Miraculous to her cousin Bridgette, who was visiting from China. 

Chloe had gotten better, and she’d managed to befriend Kagami slowly. Both girls remained cold and withdrawn, but it wasn’t hopeless. The only upside of the situation. 

Oh, and getting closer to Chat. Beyond the layers of puns, jokes, and flirting, he was lonely and shy and didn’t really have a great civilian life. Being able to lean on the partner she trusted with her life was doing wonders for her self esteem, even as Lila tore it all down again. It was a balance, of sorts. Lila would never win because Chat kept tipping the scales in Marinette’s favor. 

And hearing Chat talk about Ladybug to Marinette was making her nigh invincible. If she only had Chloe to deal with like she used to, she’d be at the top of the world. 

But Lila was a thousand times worse, and Chat _wasn’t showing up_. 

Her yoyo chimed and Ladybug frantically snapped it open. A text from Chat. 

_[Chat Noir] hm got me. letter 4 u @ md-c’s blcny under mriglds. love you_

Ladybug let out a sob and ran for her balcony, watching as the connection went dark. She could only track him as long as he was transformed.

And so Hawk Moth had the Black Cat Miraculous and Ladybug’s support pillar was gone again. There was no way she could win this hopeless battle. 

Marinette’s marigolds were relatively new to her balcony. Ever since becoming Ladybug, she’d loved flowers, especially marigolds. Tikki had told her they attracted ladybugs. 

Chat had put a note on _her_ balcony under the plants that _attract ladybugs_. 

Moments like these were the moments she wondered if he knew, then dismissed it just as fast. He’d never hide something like that from her without a very good reason. 

Ladybug scrabbled at her plants, gently setting the marigolds aside. Underneath, a folded sheet of crisp white paper smudged with dirt bore her name in near-perfect penmanship. She took a moment to be a little envious of his handwriting, then gingerly unfolded the paper. 

_Ladybug,_

_If you’re reading this, something has happened to me. Death, akumatization, sickness, injury, Hawk Moth, loss of ring, or something else and I managed to tell you where this is before I was completely gone. Or Plagg managed to tell you afterwards._

_I don’t think whatever happened to me was akumatization, because with all I’ve been through I’ve never seen a single butterfly coming my direction. I’d never fail you like that._

_I- I guess I should start from the beginning._

_I can’t tell you my name, because who knows who might find this letter. But from the moment I got the ring, it was a way out. A way to get away from all the rules, restrictions, and cold, lonely days. Somewhere where I could pretend my life wasn’t an absolute shithole ever since Mom died. Heck, nobody knew my mom had died!_

_I didn’t even wait for Plagg to finish explaining before transforming. I wanted to get out._

_Then you fell into my life._

_At first, you were the first friend I’d ever chosen to make of my own free will. We defeated Stoneheart for the first time and I was never going to be alone again, never stuck in my cold, dark room waiting for my father’s assistant to take me to some arrangement I didn’t want to go to. When Stoneheart came back, and we stood in front of the Eiffel Tower and heard Hawk Moth’s voice for the first time…_

_You stood there and you didn’t think you were worth anything. You thought you had failed because you weren’t perfect. And then you went up and told Hawk Moth to kiss our asses and suddenly you weren’t just some crazy awesome superhero, you weren’t just Ladybug to me. You were this amazing, beautiful woman who didn’t believe in herself but tried her hardest anyways, someone with real flaws and no self esteem who didn’t let it stop her, someone I would follow to the ends of the Earth because you’re the only girl I’ve ever wanted to love. There have been other crushes, other girls who made me smile, but you’re to only one I couldn’t live without. I know you don’t feel the same, so I’ll be whoever you want me to be. A friend, support, a sidekick, a partner, whoever you want me to be. If you want me to go I’ll leave in an instant._

_I’m yours, Ladybug. Always have been, always will be. I don’t care if you’re not mine, because I know I’ll always be yours. That’s enough for me._

_I’ve thought I was in love with you for a long time, since we beat Stoneheart the second time. The more I look back, it was only infatuation at first. Love doesn’t happen at first sight. I can’t pinpoint when I truly fell in love with you, because I honestly don't know. But I can say without hesitation that I’ve fallen in love with you somewhere in our battles always won, in the patrols and games, in all the memories I’ve shared with you, I can’t say I’m_ not _in love with you._

_I guess this is goodbye. So, know that you made my life a much brighter place, filled with joy and not so alone, with pictures of us plastered all over my walls and memories filling the hole in my heart where my mom used to be. Without you, I don’t know who I’d be._

_Yours,_

_Chat Noir_

By the time she’d finished reading the letter, the ink was blotted with tears and determination. 

No way in _hell_ would she leave that stupid cat behind. 

 

Three days later, there was another note under her flowerpot. 

Ladybug- it's been a couple of days. I'm still alive, don't worry. Hawkmoth tried to akumatize me but it didn't work, I have too much hope. Plagg refused to transform me until I told you how to get here, and I'd rather avoid that. I don't really have any family left, but my friends (including you) are everything to me. I'm stalling. Hawkmoth is Gabriel Agreste, and Mayura is his assistant. He wants to bring his wife back to life. I told him about the price of the wish, but he doesn't care. He doesn't care at all. He said Emilie is worth everything.   
Heck, I'm terrified. He truly thinks he has nothing left to lose. I wonder if he ever really cared about his son at all. Did you know that Adrien was planning to run away? I did. I was leaving after visiting him when Hawkmoth got me. Us kids with no family left have to stick together, right? He didn't make it out. He's still here.   
Nooroo doesn't share a drop of extra energy with Hawkmoth. A single transformation wears him out a lot. I didn't know they shared energy with us. Without our kwamis approval, a single transformation exhausts us. He sleeps a lot. I have a pen and Plagg can sneak away to get me paper at any time. Plagg has plenty of food, and I can hold out long enough for you to come. If you choose to, that is. -Chat Noir

Ladybug grinned. On the back of the note was a very detailed map and directions to get into the mansion, like she hadn't plotted millions of ways to get inside with or without the mask in the case of some sort of zombie akuma. The Agreste mansion was easily the best-defended place in Paris, and too many back up plans was never a problem. 

The evil butterfly lair was  _not_ accounted for in her plans, though. She'd have to amend that later. 

The sun was just beginning to set as Ladybug swung across the city. She spotted (no pun intended) Alya and Nino sharing a cone of ice cream, and briefly thought of the other Miraculouses. But no. This was her battle, not a battle for shaken trust and inexperienced wielders. 

Maybe...

Ladybug dropped down in front of the Ladyblogger, looking straight ahead at Alya and not smiling as she scrambled to look a little more professional. "Ladybug! Is there something you need?"

"I need you to put a video on the Ladyblog," Ladybug said, fingering the creased note behind her back. 

Alya pulled her phone out lightning quick. "Live or no?"

"Either way," Ladybug sighed. "Live works, I guess."

"Hey, Paris! It's Alya Cesaire, live from the base of the Eiffel Tower. No akuma, don't worry, but Ladybug herself came to me to record this."

Ladybug let a small smile turn the corners of her mouth up at Alya's barely concealed enthusiasm. "Dire news today, I'm afraid. Three days ago, Chat Noir didn't show up to patrol. He may joke around, but he's never been late to single patrol. No matter how tired he is, or how much he has to do. He never complains about his home life, tried not to let it show how crappy his family is. A lot of people say he's my sidekick. That has  _never_ been the truth, and never will be. He's my partner, and my equal. And three days ago, he sent me the one thing we've all been dreading since the day of the first akuma: a simple, three-word sentence. Well, it would be three words if you translated it to French. It wasn't, we never text in French. 

"Hawkmoth has Chat Noir. No matter what happens tonight, there will be no more akumas. Either we win or we lose. If I lose my Miraculous tonight, I want to say I'm sorry. To all of you. For the interruptions, the distractions, the danger, the trauma. For every life I couldn't save in time, for those who have died many times and now have to live remembering that. I'm sorry that I wasn't this strong, perfect woman you see me as. I'm a teenage girl, the same age as you, Alya, as Nino, as Chloe Bourgeois. As Adrien Agreste. I'm the quiet girl, who stutters and trips over thin air. Whose big dreams came crashing down with every missed class, every stupid excuse, every time I wasn't fast enough. I'm just a girl, and now any dream I had is shattered at my feet. I always wanted to be a fashion designer, y'know? Gabriel Agreste used to be my idol. Well, not anymore.

"I'm going into the final battle alone. I can't trust Rena and Carapace, and Chloe is out of town. This is my goodbye, I guess. I'm fighting for you, Paris. I'm fighting for Adrien Agreste, who couldn't escape his own house, for Chat Noir, who was always by my side, for Chloe Bourgeois, who was only a few steps away from someone I could trust. I'm fighting for the friendships I've lost, and the people I don't have anymore. I'm fighting for the Guardian, and the team in China recovering the Tiger Miraculous. I'm fighting because this is my last chance to be good enough. I'm fighting because of every single moment since Emilie Agreste's death has been a living hell for Adrien, and because I don't understand how Hawkmoth, how  _Gabriel Agreste_ , raised a literal embodiment of sunshine. I'm fighting for everyone who needs a new family, who needs a new place to call home. Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth. I think that's all I need to say."

Ladybug started to throw her yoyo to leave, but Alya's voice stopped her. "Wait! What do you mean, you can't trust Rena Rouge and Carapace?"

"I mean, Rena Rouge told me to check my facts when I told her someone claiming to be Ladybug's best friend was lying. And claimed I was jealous when the same liar was making my crush uncomfortable, even though he hates it when people drape themselves over him. Hell, Carapace was his best friend and he just agreed with her."

With that harsh, biting statement, Ladybug swung away. 

She didn't look back. The list of people she trusted was down to three right now, and Alya wasn't even close to deserving forgiveness.

 

Hours later, when she stood in front of Hawkmoth and told him to go fuck himself, all she saw was Chat's hopeful smile. They would make it through this, together. 

A few minutes after that, when the world started to dissolve and rewrite itself, she lunged forward, grabbing her partner and holding on as tight as she could. 

She fought back the power eating at her soul, brushing away Adrien's tears before she was gone.

 

Something was missing. 

Adrien wiped away the tears dripping down his face, wondering why he was crying. He started to mention it, but there was no one around. Just his cold, lonely bedroom, just like always. 

He wanted to run, to let the tears fall freely, to chase after red ribbons and playful laughter. He wanted to spend hours playing tag and laughing and none of the dull, boring schedule Nathalie would no doubt procure the moment he awoke fully. 

Something was missing, his mind screamed. Something's not right.

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr is death-by-ladybug, come yell at me there!


End file.
